Nirajan Adhikari

CURRICULUM VITAE

Academic background

MS, Animal Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA, 2013

B.V.Sc. & A.H, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 2009

Summary of Master’s work

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Culture and incubation of prototheca from cryobeads

• Preservation of Prototheca on cryobeads from culture of clinical mastitis samples

• Preparation of Prototheca Isolation broth (PIM) or agar, Normal saline, Nutrient broth

• Autoclaving of media and utensils

• Pasteurization of prototheca inoculated sample in heat blocks

• Extraction of DNA

• Using transilluminator, spectrophotometer, microtiter plate reader

• Minimum Inhibitory concentration for prototheca susceptibility to plant hormones

• Experimental design and preparation of SOPs for experiments and record keeping

• Mentoring undergraduate students working with prototheca

• Solubility experiments of Essential oils with Tween or DMSO in PIM broth

• Immunology lab (Immunodiffusion, ELISA and Haemagglutination)

• Data collection and analysis of results with SYSTAT statistical package

• Writing journal articles as per journal guidelines

• MS Word and Excel

Other responsibilities in Animal Health Lab

• Alignment of necessary equipment, proper PPE for necropsy

• Assist with necropsy and taking notes about gross pathology

• Collection of fresh and fixed tissues

• Collection of microbiological swabs for bacteria, viral or mycoplasma for transport

• Proper documentation of samples collected

• Proper packaging and disposal of the carcass

• Disinfection of the used tools and lab after necropsy

• Batch and individual milk culture for mastitis pathogens

• Animals worked in necropsy were avian (chicken, turkey, some wild), swine, goat,

moose, cattle calves, deer, dogs, rabbits and cats.

Experience

2007- 2008 Animal Health Camps and Canine Spaying and Castration Camps, Veterinary

Teaching Hospital and Directorate of Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science,

Nepal

Responsibilities:

• Rabies vaccination to stray dogs, PPR vaccination to goats

• Anesthesia and neutering of dogs

• Rectal palpation and pregnancy diagnosis of cows

• Treatment of anestrous cattle and buffalo

• Prescription and administration of medication to the diseased animal

2009-10 Internship on Prevalence of piglet mortality and Transmissible gastroenteritis in Peri-

urban areas of Kathmandu valley

Responsibilities:

• Data collection on swine population and piglets, mortality and disease symptoms

• Collection of suspicious piglets for Transmissible Gasteroenteritis

• Necropsy of dead piglets from birth to weaning

2010 Officer’s level Meat Inspection Training (2 weeks), Directorate of Livestock Services

Training and Extension, Department of Livestock Services, Nepal

Training

• Transport conditions of slaughter animal

• Quarantine and antemortem evaluation of meat animals

• Stamping animals Fit for slaughter or Condemned

• Postmortem evaluation of carcass, Lymph nodes examination, whole body or organ

condemnation

• HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control points)

2011 Assistant Clinician, Capital mobile pet clinic, Kathmandu

Duties:

• Handling and Vaccination of dogs and cats

• Emergency care

• Fracture management

• Medicine administration

2011-2012 Visit to Swine, sheep and poultry farms for Co-operative extension, University of

Maine

Responsibilities

• Collection of blood and other samples for disease and parasite identification

• Record keeping for individual animals

July 2012: 2 week experience with pigs in Swine Medication and Education Program (SMEC),

VDPAM, Iowa State University

Duties

• 4 circle approach to pig farms involving outer farm evaluation (biosecurity, housing,

fencing, rodent situation, loading and unloading area, feed bins, parking area,

office record keeping, storage of medicines and record of drug administration)

• Inner pen and individual pig evaluation for management and disease problems

• Collection of blood, oral, nasal and fecal samples for disease investigation

• Euthanesia of pigs (gunshot) suggesting diseased from 4 circle evaluation

• Necropsy, collection of organ samples (fresh and fixed) for disease investigation

Presentation

2011 Lichtenwalner A, Adhikari N, Farrington-Thomason T. Prototheca mastitis in

Maine: prevalence and pasteurization studies of a food-borne pathogen. Maine

CDC Infectious Diseases Annual Conference, Augusta ME

2013 Dairy bedding type affects prototheca survival in vitro, Graduate Students

Competition, University of Maine

2013 April Biosecurity Approach of Iowa State University, Talk to Maine Pork Producers

Association Group, Orono

Journals: (submitted or in preparation)

1. Adhikari N, Boniauto H, Lichtenwalner A. Dairy bedding type affects prototheca survival in

vitro. J Dairy Sci Volume 96, Issue 12, Pages 7739-7742, December 2013

2. Lichtenwalner A, Adhikari N, Kantar L, Jenkins E and Schurer J. Echinococcus granulosus G8

in Maine Moose (Alces alces). Alces Volume 50, Pages 27-33, 2014

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